Adani Defence and Aerospace says it can produce 100,000 guns a year, signaling a major expansion of India’s domestic defense production.
The company has already delivered the first batch of 2,000 Prahar light machine guns, a locally produced version of the Israeli Negev NG7, according to a report by The Week.
Ashish Rajwanshi, president and chief executive officer, said production uses Industry 4.0 digitization and strict quality control, keeping defect rates below 0.5 percent.
While Prahar is the immediate focus, Adani Defence plans to expand into assault rifles, pistols, sniper rifles, and carbines.
A large-caliber ammunition complex in Kanpur is set to open soon, described as one of South Asia’s largest for small, medium, and large calibers. Its Hyderabad facility focuses on unmanned systems, electronic warfare, and loitering munitions.
Domestic Manufacturing Expands Across India
These moves are part of a wider trend to boost India’s domestic defense capabilities.
In March 2025, India contracted domestic manufacturers Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems to produce more than 300 locally-developed 155mm Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems, a landmark order that emphasized sourcing artillery systems domestically and involved over 65 percent local content.
In October 2025, Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems inaugurated a private factory in Vemagal, Karnataka, dedicated to assembling H125 helicopters, including configurations for defense and civil use, marking India’s first privately operated helicopter assembly line.
Another major industrial expansion came in December 2025, when India’s JSW Defence, in partnership with Shield AI, broke ground on a $90-million production plant in Hyderabad to build V-BAT unmanned aerial systems under a technology transfer agreement.
India has also moved to localize advanced precision weapons production. In February, Safran Electronics & Defense and Bharat Electronics Limited agreed to establish a joint venture in India to manufacture HAMMER precision-guided munitions, including components such as guidance kits.
